Department for Transport

Public Transport

lord porter of spalding: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to communicate across the private and public sectors lessons learntfrom the Total Transport project.

baroness sugg: The 37 Total Transport pilot schemes formally came to an end at the end of April this year. The Department is now analysing the results and will, in due course, consider how best to communicate the conclusions more widely.

Department for Education

Out-of-school Education

baroness cavendish of little venice: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will publish the responses submittedto their 2016 consultation, Out-of-school education settings: registration and inspection, which closed on 11 January 2016.

lord agnew of oulton: The government is committed to safeguarding all children and protecting them from harm, including in out-of-school settings. Following the publication of the government’s Counter Extremism Strategy in 2015, which set out plans to introduce a new system of oversight for out-of-school settings, we undertook a call for evidence to learn more about these settings and to determine the potential scope and impact of introducing a regulatory system.As well as considering the views of those that responded to the call for evidence, we have been working with a range of stakeholders to strengthen our understanding of these settings, which vary considerably in their characteristics and the activities and education they offer. The government has also announced that it intends to consult on revised guidance on local authorities’ home education powers, and we shall be publishing that in due course.

Home Office

Refugees: Children

lord watson of invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many children under the age of 18 have been resettled under the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme to date, broken down by (1) region, and (2) local authority.

lord watson of invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many of those children resettled under the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme to date are currently accessing education.

lord watson of invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the average waiting time from arrival in the UK to starting full-time education for children resettled under the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme.

baroness williams of trafford: Latest statistics published on 30 November 2017 confirmed that a total of 9,394 vulnerable people have been resettled since the start of the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme (VPRS) across various local authorities. Around half of those resettled under the VPRS were children. The Home Office is committed to publishing data in an orderly way as part of the regular quarterly Immigration Statistics, in line with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics. The statistics are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release The Home Office does not hold data in relation to the number of children resettled through this scheme who are currently accessing education or the average waiting time for children to start full-time education. We continue to work with local authorities to make sure that every child has a school place.

Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps

lord turnberg: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to follow the United States and designate the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation.

baroness williams of trafford: Whilst we keep the list of proscribed groups under review, we do not routinely comment on whether an organisation is or is not under consideration for proscription.

Marriage

lord warner: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many legally recognised religious marriages were performed in England and Wales in 2014 by (1) Christian denominations other than the Church in Wales or Catholic Church, broken down by denominations, and (2) non-Christian groups, broken down into individual groups.

baroness williams of trafford: Marriage Statistics are published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and the figures for 2014 have been published, which includes the statistics for Christian and non-Christian marriages.Data is not held in a way that can provide further statistics beyond that provided by the ONS.

Asylum: Children in Care

lord watson of invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many unaccompanied minors have been transferred through the National Transfer Scheme to date, broken down by receiving local authority.

lord watson of invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government which local authorities have agreed to take part in the National Transfer Scheme for unaccompanied minors.

lord watson of invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many unaccompanied minors are currently waiting to be transferred through the National Transfer Scheme.

lord watson of invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the average waiting time between the request for transfer of an unaccompanied minor under the National Transfer Scheme and the new local authority receiving that child.

baroness williams of trafford: We are grateful to the local authorities who continue to support to unaccompanied asylum seeking children, including those who have participated in the National Transfer Scheme (NTS).Data on the NTS can be found at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/663577/UKVI_Asylum_Transparency_data_Q3_2017.odsThe average waiting time to transfer unaccompanied children through the NTS varies according to the individual circumstances involved.The number of unaccompanied children awaiting transfer through the scheme is fluid, depending on asylum intake, the number of transfer requests by local authorities and the number of transfers completed.

Police and Crime Commissioners

baroness harris of richmond: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to review the costs of Police and Crime Commissioners and to make a comparative assessment of the costs of the former Police Authorities, in order to ascertain whether Police and Crime Commissioners provide value for money to the taxpayer.

baroness williams of trafford: Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) have brought direct democratic accountability to policing. Their role and function is dramatically different to the invisible and ineffective Police Authorities they replaced. The Government has not made an estimate of the net effect on public expenditure, nor are the roles directly comparable. Since coming into post, PCCs have brought real local accountability to how chief constables and their forces perform; they are working hard to ensure that their local communities have a stronger voice in policing. As recognised by the Home Affairs Select Committee (HASC) in their March 2016 report, PCCs are here to stay and the introduction of PCCs has worked well to date. HASC have also recognised that PCCs have had some beneficial effects on public accountability and clarity of leadership in policing.

Undocumented Migrants

lord hay of ballyore: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their estimate of the number of illegal immigrants living in the UK; and what action they are taking to address that problem.

baroness williams of trafford: Any estimate of the exact size of the illegal population is extremely difficult and there would be considerable uncertainty around it.Exit checks were introduced in April 2015 and are, over time, providing more detailed insights into the behaviour of migrants and how they comply with the restrictions placed upon their length of stay in the UK. Instead of producing inaccurate numbers, the Government is focused on making it harder for people to live in the UK illegally.

Prostitution: Arrests

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many arrests were made in each of the last three years relating to offences of (1) a common prostitute loitering in a street or public place, (2) a common prostitute soliciting in a street or public place, (3) a person persistently loitering, and (4) a person persistently soliciting, for the purpose of prostitution, broken down by (a) arresting police authority, and (b) the (i) gender, and (ii) ethnicity, of the person arrested.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Office collects and publishes data on the number of arrests for notifiable offences at the offence group level, for example, ‘Sexual offences’ or ‘Miscellaneous crimes against society’, on a financial year basis. More detailed information on the specific offence is not collected. Data on the number of arrests, broken down by gender, age group, ethnic group and police force area, are published in the ‘Police Powers and Procedures, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin, which can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-powers-and-procedures-england-and-wales

Deportation: EU Nationals

lord beecham: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they last published figures relating to the number of homeless EU citizens deported from the UK; if more than one year ago, why those figures have not been updated; and how many such persons have been deported from the UK in 2017 to date.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Office does not specifically record the number of homeless EU citizens deported from the UK. EU citizens and their family members retain the right to enter and live in the UK, and are subject to conditions attached to lawful residence. Any individuals encountered not exercising treaty rights can be served removal papers to allow their return to their country of origin. The Government does publish Immigration Statistics which details the number of enforced returns of EU citizens to June 2017 and can be found at:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-april-to-june-2017/how-many-people-are-detained-or-returned#enforced-returns-of-eu-nationals

Immigrants: Detainees

baroness hamwee: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many detainees in Immigration Removal Centres (IRCs) have committed suicide in the last 12 months; and what was (1) the name and nationality of the person committing suicide, and (2) the IRC where they were detained, in each case.

baroness hamwee: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many detainees in Immigration Removal Centres (IRCs) have unsuccessfully attempted to commit suicide in the last 12 months; andwhat was (1) the nationality of the person attempting suicide, and (2) the IRC where they were detained, in each case.

baroness williams of trafford: Any death in immigration detention is subject to investigation by the police, the coroner (or Procurator Fiscal in Scotland) and the independent Prisons and Probation Ombudsman.In the period 1 October 2016 to 30 September 2017 there have been no deaths in immigration removal centres, or shortly after release, where a coroner has yet determined the cause of death to be self inflicted.Staff at all immigration removal centres are trained to identify those at risk of self harm so that action can be taken to minimise the risk. All incidents of self harm are treated very seriously and every step is taken to prevent incidents of this nature. Formal risk assessments on initial detention and systems for raising concerns at any subsequent point feed into established self harm procedures in every IRC, which are in turn underpinned by the Home Office Operating Standard on the prevention of self-harm and Detention Services Order 06/2008 Assessment Care in Detention Teamwork (ACDT).Information on incidents of self harm where the intent of the self harm attempt is suicide is not readily available from central statistical records and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Police Federation Independent Review

baroness harris of richmond: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the cost of implementing the recommendations of the Normington Review in England and Wales.

baroness williams of trafford: The Government has made no assessment on the cost of implementing the recommendations of the Normington Review in England and Wales. The Normington Review was commissioned by, and reported to, the Police Federation of England and Wales. Decisions on the implementation of its recommendations and any assessment of the cost of doing so are matters for the Police Federation.

Immigration Controls: Middle East

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government how manyPalestinians living in (1) Israel, and (2) the occupied territories of Palestine, have been refused entryto the UK in each of the last five years; and how many Jewish Israeli citizens have been refused entry during the same period.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Office does not hold the information in the format requested.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Hunting

lord birt: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that the activities of (1) those taking part in organised hunts, and (2) those opposed to such hunting, remain within the law.

lord gardiner of kimble: The Hunting Act 2004 bans all hunting of wild mammals with dogs in England and Wales, except where it is carried out in accordance with the exemptions set out in Schedule 1 to the Act. The enforcement of the Hunting Act 2004 is an operational matter for the police. The police have issued guidance to forces dealing with hunting issues in the ‘Hunting Act 2004 Investigators Manual’. Enforcement of the legislation will follow this guidance. Anyone who believes an offence is taking place or has taken place during a hunt, whether it lies with the hunters or protestors, should report the matter to the police.

Department for International Trade

Overseas Trade

lord wigley: To ask Her Majesty's Government with how many countries have theyagreedto seek to establish a bilateral tariff-free trade agreement following Brexit.

baroness fairhead: We are talking to a number of countries about future trading options, including Free Trade Agreements. We are also using instruments like Joint Trade Reviews, a collaborative in-depth analysis into the mutual trading relationship between the UK and a partner country; to look for areas we can improve our bilateral trading relationships.We will aim through these discussions to put in place various mechanisms to improve trading relations and remove barriers affecting UK businesses.